Saturday 14 December 2013

Dave Richmond in Bass Guitar Magazine

Nearly missed this one! The short feature I wrote on Dave Richmond earlier this year is in the December issue of Bass Guitar Magazine, alongside the usual mix of news, reviews, features, and other brilliant bassy stuff.

The January issue is about to drop so get down to your newsagent fast to snap this one up before it's gone.

Tuesday 3 December 2013

The Moving Pictures of Dorian Gray

In conjunction with the BFI's Gothic Season, my friends at Media Magazine have published a supplement to December's issue, focusing on 'The Dark Heart of Film'. Included is my article on the cinematic adaptations of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The supplement is FREE to download from the Media Magazine website. Like the magazine, it's aimed primarily at 6th-form media students, but is nonetheless a cracking read for anyone into gothic-tinged cinema.

Friday 29 November 2013

Shindig! 36

Shindig! issue 36 is out now, including my usual mixed bag of reviews and a 'Vinyl Art' column on Marcus Keef's terrific artwork for Affinity's eponymous 1970 long-player.

Loads of good stuff in there this month, particularly a nice long piece on Big Jim Sullivan, whose death last year prompted my very first blog post. Ace as ever.

Sunday 10 November 2013

Classical Music Magzaine

Long time no see. Anyway check out the November issue of Classical Music Magazine which includes my report on the opening of the new Saffron Hall.

Monday 29 July 2013

Shindig! 34

Shindig! magazine Issue 34 is out this week. I've got a few reviews in there, including a reissue from experimental electronicist Ruth White, and a box set and live album from madcap mods Corduroy. It surely is a broad church. I also wrote this month's 'Vinyl Art' column, on Fifty Foot Hose's fantastic, genre-defying 1967 album Cauldron.

Curious readers might want to check out the Ramlala poster I refer to in the column, so I thought I'd link to it here. It can be seen on classic posters or lead pipe posters, probably elsewhere too. Interesting, huh? Especially if you haven't read the article...

Friday 28 June 2013

John Foxx and The Belbury Circle

Coming from Ghost Box this September is John Foxx and The Belbury Circle's Empty Avenues, to which I made a tiny musical contribution. Looking forward to getting my hands on that vinyl.

Pop over to The Belbury Parish Magazine for more info and other great stuff.

Monday 3 June 2013

For Men Who Don't Have To Try... Too Hard

It was my absolute pleasure to talk to Dave Richmond recently, for a short piece I've written for Bass Guitar Magazine. Dave was a prolific UK session man in the '60s and did a lot of work for the library music label KPM in the '70s. You probably know him as the bass player on Serge Gainsbourg's ...Melody Nelson album.

One of the stories he told me, for which there sadly wasn't room in the final cut of the article, was about his KPM track "Confunktion" (from KPM 1163 Rock Spectrum). The piece makes uses of a thunderous sound that's somewhere between an angry Moog and a helicopter, but it wasn't created by a synth at all. It turns out we are actually listening to the sound of guitarist Clive Hicks' malfunctioning fuzzbox! Given the number of sessions these guys did, it's not surprising that happy accidents like that popped up from time to time.

The track was used by Denim aftershave later in the '70s so here it is in context. Heavy!



Dave was also kind enough to share some photos with me from his personal collection. A great one of him and legendary drummer Brian Bennett should make it into the piece, but this one of the man himself from 1972 (with his Burns Black Bison bass) was too low-res for the magazine, so here it is to enjoy!

Tuesday 2 April 2013

The Coolest Month

Here I am in two magazines again this month. April's Music Teacher includes my article about music courses for adults, while Shindig! issue 32 (out 11th April) hosts my contribution to the regular 'What's In A Label?' feature; an interview with my good friends at Ghost Box records. This issue should be an absolute cracker, with a really terrific Broadcast interview and some exclusive Julian House artwork.

Thursday 14 February 2013

MediaMagazine Issue 43

If you're in a school or college after half term you may spot the new issue of MediaMagazine (issue 43, the Independence issue) with a piece on pop-up cinema by yours truly. The mag looks great as usual.


Thursday 31 January 2013

Publications

Just a little bit of news for those who may be interested... two publications to which I have contributed will be in your local newsagents this month. The February issue of Music Teacher contains my article on early years music classes and is out now, while Shindig! issue 31 will be published on 14th February, and will contain my 'Vinyl Art' column, the subject of which I won't give away in case you like to be surprised. They're each pretty different, I'll give you that.